The Dickinson press., 1887-04-23
A LITTLE NAVAJO.
INDIANS WHO DISLIKE THE LOOKS
OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.
An Artists Attempt to Secure the rict-
ure of IL Navajo Bnby-A Cunning Lit
tie Sarase-.obligcd to Give Up tho
Chase.

ure of /, Navajo Bnby-A Cunning Lit
tie Sayase-.obligcd to Give Up tho
Chase.
AS we know, the Navajos arc al American
tri''p of Indians, scattered for the most part
over the territories of New Mexico and Ari-
IONA. Quite Il number of them live with
their families, i'll the curious little liabitatons
they erect. about tho frontier military station
n: Fort Wiz ate, Now Mexico 1t is in this
latter place that l have had tho opportunity,
for over two years past, of studying many OF
| their ways and customs. And it WAS here,
too, that /; few days ago went out among
them with a photographer camera, armed with
an English instantaneous shutter, with ~
view of taking few pictures of them while
they were actively engaged i'll somo of their
very interesting games.
Aitcr having obtained four or five more "
less satisfactory plates tho Indians became
quito rcstve, as they rather object to that
sort of thing; and, as if by common consent,
they gradually disappeared, II few ut a time,
making for one "f their low, couical shaped
mud lltS, where they entered through tho
single small door at its side. In less han half
an hovr there was mono of them To be seen
outside at all, and knowing full we'll that they
would not appear again SD long rs remained
upon the ground shoullercl my instrument
and prepared to como away. At the time |
was standing between two of their huts stu
ated some 500 yards apart, with n well beaten
though narrow footpath passing from ono To
the other There We're no trees within
quarter of a mile, the plain being spa,srly
covered with sage brush, tho plants being
from two to three feet high
n LITTLE TEN-MoNTlI-oLD.
just then one of their babies tollcl out of
tho doorway of the upper hut; the child
could not have been over 10 months old, and
Wore only Il very dirty little shirt, which
came about half way down 10 his k':ccs 1t
looked more like an infant Eskimo than any
child, not white, that know anything about;
and it started right down the path with Il
very unsteady baby wa.dlc, making for the
| lower hut, wlcrc imagine its mother had
taken refuge from my mcrciless camera.
hat often lonscl for good picture Of II
| SoNai" baby in its native plains and hero
WAS an opportunity not to he lost SO step
ping few feet out of the way, in an instant
had my instrument in position focused on
the path and with instantaneous snap ready,
stood quietly fo.' my subject to pass. On
h. toa'llrd until he came within thirty feet of
mo, when he Suddenly stopped and, to my
surprise, seemed To fully take III the situation.
At This stage ! frlI quite sure that one of
our babies, especially at this tender age,
would have brslln to cry and more than
likely rc,racctl its steps TO the hut from
whence it had issued. Not so, however. this
infant Navajo and, mark the difference. He
steadily watched my every movement, and
was evidently determined to reach the lower
l,tIt ,.I,.
the side flirthest from me, lie was, in the next
Instant, behind one of the sage brushes, which
was something over Il foot taller tl.al, tho
baby. From this position he rcercd through
the lca.lcss twiss at mo to see what would
do uI,ou, it. a little annoyed ut this turn in
li,;iil's, | threw tho focusing cloth over my
ri:l and turned the Instrument on him.
| Tnisil;, advantage of this temporary conceal
men of my head, he ram thoroughly baby
fashion, to the next lower brllsh Il distance
of some ten feet, where hiding us BEFORE lie
croa',le'l down AMI stared at me like young
l,.ix through the twigs. lie now looked, for
all the world, the young Indian cub at bay
with all the native instincts of his ancestors
ON the alert, and making use of all the STRAIT
'':4sN his baby mind could muster.
AN INTERESTING PICTURE.
l "
study; but, fearing that would lose IL perna-
nont men,cnto of ii, l turned to lift my i'll
stru,;"nt, with tho view of taking u much
nearer position, wllen again facing the brush
where had last seen tho baby, 1T was, to my
! great surprise not there, but hal scampcrel
to tho next lower one in the direction of the
| hut for which it was bound. a full grown
| buck of the tribe could not have possibly
managed this last movement any better As
| il ran to the still next lower brush, ! was
nStonis!ied beyond measure Tor, take it, I
| am & od Stalker myself how it tool; al
sal,t:s.a Of everything That lay in the short
| Intervening distance, and how, after it ar
| rived at the brush, it Immediately took u,
| position on the oppo,i'c side of it, from where
'coull make another quick start, and yet not
| lpa" ,iesht of my movements. And, mind
ynl, MI thi, from Il baby only 10 months
| OH at thc most. IS it was rapidly
gaining its point and approaching the
| lower l!ut, i'll sheer desperation ! ram up on
lis last l'lac" Of conc"alnent, holding my
| camera in such II way that could ilincdi-
| ;ltny place tho tripod in position, which
sur"ce'l"i in doing with the ions lcvolcl di-
rccly at is head, and not three feet from it.
1t low stood up to the full extent of its baby
height, and giving vent To genuine nfan-
tile hawl, it ir'Ic break for the final point
| Of its destination, for There was nothing else
| left for il to do. 1t is almost needless to add
tl:at, before could fnrn, and insert plate
my Navajo baby was out Of range And,
fearing that its auGercl mother might
appear at any point at the cry Of alarm Of
| her child, | Immediately forsoo! the ground.
Ny nhjcct in making Il record Of such an in
t'res;ns case rs ti!s Is to simply draw ntt"n-
| tiom to the fact That the native instinct of
| these American Indians is exhibited in their
YONG at ~ wonderfully trn'.cl' age: aud in
This particular they differ vastly from our
o'''n CHILDREN AT IL corresponding time of life,
and reared, rs they have been for ages, in /,
| fiviizcl cnvroMnent.-Na
An Insane Mnlnau,s STRENGTH.